Illinois Office of Small Business
Environmental P.O. Box 19276
July, 2002
How Do I Handle My Professional Car Wash Wastewater?
Information presented in this publication is intended to provide a general understanding of the statutory and regulatory requirements governing car wash
wastewater.. This information is not intended to replace, limit or expand upon the complete statutory and regulatory requirements found in the Illinois
Environmental Protection Act and Title 35 of the Illinois Administrative Code. These requirements can be found on line at www.ipcb.state.il.us.
Professional car washes are an easy way for consumers to
remove dirt and grime from their vehicles. The dirt washed
off vehicles as well as the cleaning materials themselves
may be harmful to the environment. As the operator of a pro-
fessional car wash, what must you do to keep this dirt and
the chemicals used in the cleaning process from being
released into the environment? This fact sheet provides a
description of the types of professional car washes, and
explains why car wash activities are a concern to the envi-
ronment, how to manage and discharge wastewater, how to
manage sludge, how to prevent groundwater contamination,
and how to become more environmentally friendly and con-
serve water.
? What Types of Professional Car Washes Are There?
Most professional car washes can be classified as conveyor, in-
bay automatic, or self-service systems. These are described
below.
• In a conveyor car wash system, the car moves on a con-
veyor belt while the exterior of the car is washed. The two
basic technologies that are available for the conveyor wash
cycle are friction and frictionless. The friction wash uses
brushes or curtain strips made of cloth or other material to
clean the vehicle, while the frictionless uses high-pressure
nozzles. In addition, the conveyor car wash is either full
service or exterior only. In a full-service conveyor car
wash, both the interior and exterior of the car are cleaned.
Exterior-only car washes do not clean the interior.
• At an in-bay automatic car wash, the vehicle is parked in a
bay and remains stationary while a machine moves back
and forth over the vehicle to clean it. A professional in-bay
car wash uses brushes made of nylon or other material,
soft cloth strips, or automatic washers consisting of high-
pressure nozzles.
• In a self-service car wash, the customers wash the vehi-
cles. A wand dispenses water and cleanser at varying
amounts and pressures. In addition, a low-pressure brush
may be available to assist in the wash cycle.
? Why Are Car Washes a Concern For the Environment?
Professional car wash systems create wash wastewater that
can have a great impact on the environment if not properly
managed and discharged.
Contaminants in wash wastewater include the following:
• Oil and grease, which contain hazardous materials such as
benzene, lead, zinc, chromium, arsenic, pesticides, herbi-
cides, nitrates, and other metals
TOGETHER WE CAN PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT OF ILLINOIS
Protection Agency Springfield, IL 62794-9276
1-888-372-1996
• Detergents, including biodegradable detergents, that can
be poisonous to fish
• Phosphates, which are plant nutrients and can cause
excessive growth of nuisance plants in water bodies
• Chemicals, such as hydrofluoric acid and ammonium biflu-
oride products (ABF), and solvent-based solutions that are
harmful to living organisms
• Chemicals and oils used for the maintenance of cleaning
machinery (for automatic systems)
• Debris that can clog storm sewer inlets and grates and
thereby prevent storm water drainage to the sewer
Washing vehicles on hard, impervious surfaces such as con-
crete areas can cause wash wastewater flow into storm
drains. It is necessary to find out if area storm and sanitary
sewers are combined or separate systems. Many storm and
sanitary sewers in the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) are combined before
the final discharge point; therefore, most wastewater is treat-
ed before it is discharged to surface water bodies such as
rivers, lakes, and streams. Many newer areas and other
cities have separate sewer systems; therefore, wastewater
discharged to storm sewers is discharged directly to water
bodies without treatment to remove pollutants. Car wash
wastewater can be harmful to humans, plants, and animals
if released untreated to surface water bodies. Additionally,
allowing wash wastewater to soak into the ground can be
harmful because the wastewater may contaminate soil and
groundwater. More information on how to prevent soil and
groundwater contamination is presented later in this fact
sheet.
? How Should I Manage and Discharge My Wastewater?
The Clean Water Act requires professional car washes to
route car wash wastewater to water treatment facilities or to
state-approved drainage facilities designed to protect the
environment. Filtration of the wastewater may be conducted
before discharge to a sanitary sewer. Filtration is recom-
mended so that fewer solids are present in the wash waste-
water stream discharge to the sanitary sewer system.
Filtration is mandated by the MWRDGC for wastewater that
contains particles greater than 0.5 inch in diameter. Once fil-
tration has taken place, you will be left with a sludge that
must be disposed of. Details for proper disposal are dis-
cussed below.
? Do I Need a Permit for My Wastewater Discharges?
A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit
from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois
1
EPA) is required for businesses that discharge car wash
wastewater directly into a surface water body or to a storm
sewer that discharges to a surface water body. If car wash
wastewater is discharged directly to a sanitary sewer sys-
tem, a business owner must apply for a state construction
permit and may also need to apply for a state operating per-
mit. Contact the Office of Small Business for more informa-
tion on Illinois EPA water permits. Because car wash regu-
lations vary from city to city, it is wise to contact the city
storm water program or department or water department to
determine exact local permit requirements.
? How Do I Manage My Sludge?
Sludge can be disposed of wet or dry. The requirements
associated with each are described below.
• The sludge can be dried by removing it from the car wash
system and allowing the water to evaporate. The sludge
may be dried at the site where it is generated without a
Bureau of Land permit. If you take the sludge somewhere
else to dry, the drying site must have a Bureau of Land per-
mit. You must transport the sludge under manifest as spe-
cial waste unless the sludge is certified as non-special.
Sludge which is certified as non-special waste can be dis-
posed of with your general refuse. Refer to the fact sheet
“Do I Have A Special Waste?” for more information on spe-
cial waste and certifying your waste as non-special.
• Special waste must be handled and disposed of in accor-
dance with specific Illinois EPA regulations. For more infor-
mation on special waste, refer to the fact sheet “Do I Have
A Special Waste?” You must determine if the amount of
special waste that you have generated requires you to
obtain a generator identification number. For more infor-
mation on this determination, refer to the fact sheet “Does
My Business Need Generator Identification Numbers And
Manifests?” Also, special waste must be disposed of in a
licensed, special waste disposal facility and must be trans-
ported by a licensed special waste hauler using a special
waste manifest. Disposal of sludge as special waste may
significantly increase disposal cost. Drying and disposing
of the sludge as general refuse may reduce these costs.
? How Can I Prevent Soil and
Groundwater Contamination?
Soil and groundwater contamination is a serious hazard to
human health. Therefore, steps must be taken to prevent
discharge of car wash wastewater to soil and groundwater.
The steps below should be taken.
• Discharge to sewer systems or to holding tanks when
applicable and in compliance with state and local regula-
tions.
• Capture and recycle as much wastewater as possible using
filters, oil-water separators, reclamation systems, and other
appropriate technologies.
• Hire a licensed special waste transporter to dispose of wet
sludge and other nonrecyclable special wastes.
• Comply with state and local solid and liquid waste dispos-
al regulations.
• Dry the sludge in containers and dispose of it as general
refuse.
TOGETHER WE CAN PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT OF ILLINOIS
? How Can I Make My Professional Car Wash
System More Environmentally Friendly?
As discussed above, the toxic materials associated with a
professional car wash system include detergents, phos-
phates, chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid, and ABFs. The
amount of toxic materials in a professional car wash system
can be reduced by taking the measures below.
• Use biodegradable soaps and chemicals instead of sol-
vent-based solutions.
• Reduce the amount of detergent used in the system. Using
less detergent produces less suds and reduces the amount
of discharge to the sewer system.
• Water softeners and filtration can lower the amount of total
suspended solids in water and reduce spotting on vehi-
cles. If there is less spotting on the vehicles, less detergent
will be needed.
? How Can I Make My Car Wash System
More Water Efficient?
Over the past 10 years, professional car washes have imple-
mented and improved water conservation practices.
Professional car washes can become even more water effi-
cient by taking the general measures below.
• Detect and repair all leaks in the system.
• Install lower flow nozzles and run at lower pressure; adjust
flow in nozzles, sprays, and other lines to meet minimum
quality requirements.
• Maintain all water-using devices to original or improved
specifications for the conservation of water, and replace
worn equipment with water-saving models.
• Replace brass or plastic nozzles, which erode more quick-
ly, with stainless-steel or hard ceramic nozzles.
• Check alignment of nozzles, and inspect nozzles for clog-
ging on a regular basis.
• Install positive shut-off valves on all hoses and valves and
in extractor sinks.
• Turn off all flows during shutdowns. Use solenoid valves to
stop the flow of water when production stops.
• When washing towels or rags, use front-loading washing
machines and reduce the amount of laundry by doing
fewer but fuller loads.
• Identify discharges that can be reused and implement
reuse practices.
In addition, there are specific measures that can be taken for
each type of car wash. For a conveyor system, water can be
greatly conserved by reducing conveyor time. Also, nozzles
should be timed to turn on as the vehicle enters the arch and
shut off as it moves out of range. For an in-bay automatic car
wash, adjusting nozzle alignment, flow rates, and timing can
conserve water.
? How Do I Obtain More Information?
For more information on professional car wash environmental
requirements, please call the Office of Small Business at 1-
888-EPA-1996. All calls are considered confidential, and the
caller can remain anonymous. You can also visit the Illinois
EPA website at www.epa.state.il.us. All fact sheets mentioned
in this document are available through the Illinois EPA website.
Printed by Authority of
the State of Illinois
Jun. - 2002 32419 500
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